Peter,

You can airlayering it (you can learn how to do this on youtube). You can also graft this tree on a rootstock or hardwood cutting (Youtube will show you how to do this).

goog luck,

tony

I had the same situation. I still have the property but I was worried that I might have to sell it so I took a cutting and bought rootstock and I think it actually worked. Like yours, the tree had not produced in many years because its' pollinator had been apparently removed. I was able to hand-pollinate the tree from a small tree I purchased and got a few pears this last year. Turns out it's just an ordinary Bartlett.

I bought the rootstock from Cummins and studied grafting as much as I could. Honestly the thing that helped me most were the step-by-step pictures that Joe Real put up. I also watched a few on Youtube. I had the best luck with chip budding, but I also tried limb bark grafting.

One thing I learned was that it's important for the rootstock to have developed roots before you try to graft onto it. It would be better if you could graft to another pear that is already established, even if it's just a small tree.

Since you'll need a pollinator anyway, maybe the thing to do would be to purchase a good pollinating pear tree from Cummins and graft onto it, rather than get rootstock. Hopefully you will end up with two different varieties and they'll pollinate each other.

Also, I would wait to take the cuttings as late as you can before dormancy breaks. Probably February or March in your area.

I'm just a newbie, but the folks on this forum have been so helpful and encouraging!

Do you happen to know what kind of pear tree it is?

Here is a link that might be useful: Limb Bark Grafting

Peterg,
I really think the only way to go here is to graft this thing. I would go to a garden center and buy a small healthy looking pear tree at a garden center and graft over the branches to the variety you want. As everyone has staded there is a lot of info online but if you can find someone locally to teach you that is by far the best way to learn. Maybe a local gardening club? Hope that helps.

Scape

Thank you for all your responses. I'll give it a try.